Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Ladies and gentlemen, it's the Clash of the Joshes! Rawitch vs. Suchon! Public relations vs. reportage & radio! In case you haven't been following this saga, the Dodgers' official charity, ThinkCure, is auctioning off various Dodger-related experiences as part of their recent radio/telethon. And you can bid to spend time with one of two fellas named Josh, who have a friendly wager:

IN THE BLUE CORNER, WEARING THE BLUE TRUNKS
Dodgers Vice President of Public Relations and BroadcastingJosh Rawitch

Great for aspiring sportswriters. Spend a day at the stadium with Josh Rawitch, the key behind-the-scenes link between the players and the press. See how game-day stats are assembled, how to handle questions from reporters on deadlines. Experience the fast-paced excitement of Major League Baseball from the inside.

The lowdown from Rawitch himself:

Here are a few of the things I've mentioned that are part of my typical day, in addition to the interaction with numerous players on the team:

- Meeting Joe Torre and taking part in his pregame media session

- Standing on the field at Dodger Stadium for the National Anthem

- A private tour of the stadium, including areas that the public tour doesn't go (underground batting cages, player's lounge, Dodger offices, press box, broadcast booths, DodgerVision booth...remember, as an employee, my badge allows you to goes places where "the other Josh" can't go!!) :)

- And of course, while I can't make any 100 percent guarantees, I'm going to quietly mention that just about every day of my job requires me to interact with all of the Dodger broadcasters, including Vin Scully, Jaime Jarrin, Rick Monday, Charley Steiner, Fernando Valenzuela, Pepe Yniguez and Steve Lyons. You might take note that the package to visit Vin in his booth is now over $3,000 while this one is still under $500.

UPDATE, THURS.:

- Your name in the daily notes that are distributed to the media for a one-of-a-kind souvenir

And the latest...

After the game, my job includes opening the clubhouse to the media but there's a 10-minute cooling off period where really the only people allowed in that area are club employees and the actual team. So, if we win, it's a celebration that no fans ever get to see. If we lose, it tends to be a much more quiet atmosphere and while I can't promise a win, I can promise that you won't forget the experience.

UPDATE, FRI:

The latest thing that is included in the Inside the Dodgers package is a behind-the-scenes look at the Dodger archives, where you never know what you might find. Perhaps a photo with the World Series trophy or running into a Dodger legend from the team's history. No, we don't store them in the archives! But they're in the offices almost every day and we see them all the time, something "the other Josh" can't lay claim to.

Experience the excitement of covering baseball with 790 KABC's Dodger reporter, Josh Suchon. You'll be a cub sports reporter for the day, following Josh throughout Dodger Stadium including on the field and in the press box, meeting up with his sidekick Ken Levine as they prepare for the post-game DodgerTalk program. You'll get a first hand perspective on the game from experienced baseball reporters and enjoy the behind-the-scenes excitement of producing a sports program!

The lowdown from Suchon himself:

Among the perks for the winner:

* will be my contestant for the Coca-Cola Trivia Challenge on the field after the sixth inning

* gets to hang around my co-host Ken Levine, and ask him any question about what it was like writing Cheers

* gets to be part of pre-game media interview scrum with both managers

* access to both clubhouses before the game

* watch batting practice on the field

* watch the game from the press box with myself and ken

* eat in the media dining room (unlimited desserts)

* watch ken and i do "post game dodger talk" from the back of the press box (and as long as the person hasn't totally annoyed us, he/she will get to talk on the radio)

* meet Vin Scully, Charlie Steiner, Rick Monday, Jaime Jarrin, Fernando and any other broadcasters at that game. Hey, the auction item to meet Vin is at $3,000 and you'll get to do that as part of winning my auction.

There's probably more. But that's all I can [think of for] now.

***

THE SCORECARD

JOSH RAWITCH: $440
JOSH SUCHON: $650

Bidding ends Sunday, August 24, so there's still time to decide which Josh will reign supreme!